A considered conversion to a beautiful old house, Erindale is a continuation of our intent to strive beyond standard sustainability practices and address the issue of ‘radical sufficiency’ by simply using less.
IN A NUTSHELL
Erindale is a delightful, semi-detached (mirror-image), Federation home situated on a leafy avenue in the ‘Village’ suburb of Ripponlea, in Melbourne. Belying its pretty, white brick, picket fence and stained-glass exterior, inside revealed a dark and steadily deteriorating home with disjointed internal and external spaces and restricted northern orientation. By focusing on deliberative alteration over the more standard two-storey box-on-the-back addition, spaces were re-purposed, re-oriented and opened up. The result fulfils the owner’s aim - to utilise space more wisely with clever design and pockets of interest that emerge slowly; to maximise liveability, functionality, access to light and, crucially, better views and connectivity to garden, achieved with minimal impact to the original footprint.
With increasing focus on the impacts of embedded carbon, Erindale is a continuation of our intent to strive beyond standard sustainability practices and address the issue of ‘radical sufficiency’ by simply using less.
THE WHERE
Located on a quiet, suburban tree-lined avenue, Erindale is one of a pair of pretty, semi-detached Federation homes each sited on a fairly long blocks. The adjoining homes present a mirror image of each other, with identical facades, terracotta tile roof line and a shared long white picket fence. Where often, over time, twinned homes like these become progressively unrelated, here they present a correlative charm. Within this friendly, community-focused hub, respect for the original heritage architecture is mutually evident. As the ‘fifth elevation’ (Google earth) shows the neighbours have re-roofed in the exact same red tile instead of the cheaper corrugated iron option. The shared thoughtful guardianship leads naturally to a sympathetic approach at street view, upgrading, reusing and protecting within the original style.
THE BRIEF
The owners of Erindale, a family of three, love the local area and have strong connections and family ties with the community. Their house was old and beautiful but problematic, dark and spatially impractical, compounded by plumbing and electrical issues. Knowing an overhaul was necessary, they sought to set up a home “for the next 100 years.” Their brief detailed a warm, welcoming and friendly house, open and light, with ventilation, sustainability and environmental design at its core. Self professed “slightly cluttered and messy” inhabitants, they wanted to avoid formal spaces that were immediately grand and imposing for cosy, comfortable and clever composition; homely nooks and pockets of interest that emerge. The owners wanted space to enjoy their passion for music, reading, art and houseplants/garden, and to reflect their personal style preferences: texture, colour, playfulness and “a slightly vintage aesthetic.”
The “central gathering place of the house” the kitchen/dining room would maximise air flow, natural light and external connectivity. Together with their goal of having two bathrooms and a bath “somewhere” they also had one specific request. “I’ve always wanted a reading nook or window seat. I love curling up to read in warm spots, looking out on greenery and views to the garden.”
THE TURNAROUND
The original home provided three bedrooms and one bathroom, with a rarely used living room at the very front, kitchen/dining at the very back and a laundry out-house in the garden. Although there was scope to extend out, the owners hoped for a better solution than the standard two-storey box on the back addition. To avoid encroaching too far into the garden or greatly increasing the size of the house and their environmental footprint, the challenge was to use the space they had more wisely.
In re-thinking every room Erindale now has a flowing and flexible floor plan with elements of intrigue and discovery. The old living room is the new main bedroom. The original stained glass window panes (with secondary glazing) were preserved and a built-in bench seat and a wall of beautiful custom cabinetry added. Within the timber veneer a concealed door opens to reveal an ensuite bathroom - a pop of terracotta red. Natural light is borrowed from the window in the bedroom via a high level glass panel between the cabinet shelving and shower.
All three bedrooms were re-assigned. One was divided into two - a sizeable laundry/store room and a study with garden view. A second (now the son’s room) features a large custom made loft bed and hammock net, and the third bedroom now functions as a multipurpose music room/guest bedroom, with a strong link to the living space.
The old lean-to kitchen and dining area now prevails as a single storey living zone, with huge windows and full height openings, creating the feeling of an outdoor pavilion nestled in foliage.
INSIDE OUT
Landscape and greenery were equally important factors in the restorative reimagining of Erindale. The owner wanted the garden to be just as good as the house. Instead of renovating the back of an old house, we removed the rotten structure, increased the garden and, in concept, sat a beautiful greenhouse in the middle. The lines between inside and outside are not merely blurred but harmoniously integrated into open or closed, covered or uncovered spaces. The floor of the living room is recycled brick which continues out into a lush green internal courtyard, that was once a narrow service side path. The varying materiality of the flooring - from timber floorboards, across textural old red brick, to polished concrete, creates the sense of exiting the original heritage home and entering a new building.
CURVATURE
One of the most striking design elements at Erindale are the curved glass windows and sculptural white steel shade structure at the rear. Though appearing to be an architectural flair, the diagonal line serves an integral purpose, generated to directly face the northern orientation. The steel overhang, providing shade from the summer sun, is propped on hairpin columns to create visual lightness as they merge between the silver birch trees.
THOUGHTFUL MOMENTS
Often, when renovating or designing a new home, there’s a tendency to think of a function write it down, put a ring around it and make it a room. Lazy space, where beautiful functions and beautiful moments are dislocated. Having the discipline to provide, as in the Erindale brief “everything I need and nothing that I don’t", opens up new approaches and ideas. Instead of having one vast living space, there’s an intimate place to watch TV and a cosy music room. A large sliding panel allows for separation and privacy or connection and conversation.
The reading nook is deliberate and integrated, comfortable and cosy, with shelving for books, outlook to garden and its own concealed heating unit.
When the screen greenery becomes fully established, the courtyard, with bathtub, will become another room, just without a roof.
The discipline is in answering everything the client asked for in the brief, but thoughtfully. Rather than ticking boxes, take account of the human consequence and the experience. For some the dining room at Erindale may seem small, but slide open the glass walls at either side and the space becomes open and airy, a big outdoor table in the middle of the garden. In winter the experience is the same, warmed by the heated thermal slab.
In detail the edges show methodical execution, refining to magical effect a brick bench seat on one side and then sliding doors on the other, so the corner melts away.
To imagine the ubiquitous two storey box smashed onto the back, where only the rear facade has access to sun and garden, internalising embedded dark space, what Erindale achieves is complete diurnal range, sunrise to sunset.
TRUST IN THE PROCESS
As Frank Gehry once famously bemoaned “I don’t know why people hire architects and then tell them what to do.” At Austin Maynard Architects we have always been grateful to work with wonderful, trusting clients. At Erindale, this went a step further. In reference to home renovation, the owner describes herself as “not particularly hands-on”. A lawyer and a mother, no decision was taken lightly. Instead she spent time and energy to front-load the decision making process. Finding architects whose work she admired and who shared her views on sustainability, heritage and small considered projects. There was conversations with past clients and past project visits (Garden House and Rae Rae). In no great rush to initiate the process, she first obtained a design proposal. With her choice made the owner was able to tend to other concerns, namely, timing and budget, and allowed the architect the freedom and trust to be architects.
SUSTAINABILITY
The practice of sustainable design can sometimes be very simple. If you don't have to knock it down, don't knock it down. If it’s built, it’s embodied captured carbon, so leave it alone. The majority of the original house was untouched beyond re-purpose, necessary upgrade, repair or for thermal efficiency measures.
The external brick wall of the old laundry out-house remains intact, reinforced for safety, for alternate function as the back of the outdoor BBQ. All other brickwork uses recycled red brick. Floorboards in poor state in the old part of the house, were replaced with salvaged boards from a demolition yard.
Erindale is fossil fuel free, 100% electric, with a 6.6KW solar system on the roof, with battery provision.
There is an electric heat pump hot water system and an electric heat pump hydronic heating system, installed within the brick and concrete floor.
The new rear structure has been re-oriented to maximise north and east sun. The awning creates shading to the large glazed openings so direct Summer sun does not reach the interior spaces, but makes full use of the winter solar gain, heating the thermal mass of the concrete floor.
The windows are high performance, double glazing throughout, including the curved pieces. The framing is plantation growth, locally sourced timber to stop thermal transference through the frame.
Internally the home contains LED light fittings throughout (where new was required), low VOC finishes and coatings and ethically sourced materials.
A Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) report was obtained in the design stage to assist in water management. A 3500L above ground water tank is installed at the end of the garden, collecting rain water from both the new and the existing roof. Recycled water is used for toilets and the laundry. All overland flow is managed on site through a stormwater system designed in response to the WSUD.
Natural light and cross ventilation to all living spaces have been maximised, with large openings. Ceiling fans further reduce reliance on mechanical cooling.
OWNERS STATEMENT
“I spent a long time choosing the architect. I looked online for heritage, small renovations and sustainability. I was in no great rush so I could spend time researching, to front load the decision-making process. I don't think I was a particularly involved owner, I generally just wanted to keep things in budget and on time. I trusted the architect. I asked them to choose everything, show me the options and I would pick my favourite. It was really easy. I'm always amazed by professionals who are good at what they do.
The original idea was for a two storey extension. I couldn’t imagine having everything I wanted in a single storey and I didn’t want to encroach too much into the garden. I really love my garden and I wanted to incorporate it into the design. It's a long, thin block so the temptation is just to build up and go out. It was surprising because the architects design involved re-purposing every room. I knew every room had to be re done because the original house was old and decrepit but in my head, every room had the same purpose, it didn’t occur to me we could do this. I love the flow and the openness and the light, that was a really big concern because the old house was so dark. Now it’s just really nice to come home.”
What I love most is that it’s not a big space but it packs a lot in. I get overwhelmed by large spaces. I have a bit of a horror of big spaces because I'm actually quite messy, and so the more space I have, the more stuff I collect. So I didn't want a big space. I just wanted to use the space better and for it to be more functional. My brief has definitely been met and exceeded, there’s nothing I asked for that isn’t here. It’s a very easy house to live in. It’s my longterm home and it’s quite modest but it’s what I wanted. It’s great, I love it.”
Austin Maynard Architects Project Team
Andrew Maynard, Mark Austin, Claire Ward
Completion date
Feb 2025
Builder
Building Integrity Group
Landscape Architect
Saint Remy
Engineer
KPA Management & Consulting
Photographer
Victor Vieaux
Traditional land owners.
The Yalukit-willam of the Boon Wurrung/Bunurong and the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation